Thank you

Back in the day, a public radio manager I was courting once told me, “I…

Back in the day, a public radio manager I was courting to support Love and Radio once told me, “I can see how a certain arty subset might like your podcast, but I don’t think you’ll ever find a significant audience for it.” I remember feeling largely unfazed when I heard that, because I knew, deep down, that you guys were out there. That there was a thirst for radio that was comfortable with ambiguity, took risks, and treated the intelligence of its audience with respect. And, holy moly, did you come through, well beyond what I ever could have wished for. Today, L+R has grown over 25 times what it was during that conversation.

It’s a cliche at this point, but the landscape of media is changing, and you’re in charge now. You are the collective gatekeepers. You are my bosses. And I can’t think of bosses I’d rather have. When I run into L+R listeners in my travels, I’m so often struck by how much I like them. Not in a sycophantic, oh-you-like-my-show-and-isn’t-that-cool kind of way, but in that the people I meet are thoughtful, challenging, acerbic, and intensely empathic. If they’re a reflection of the show, then we must be doing a pretty decent job.

What I’m trying to say is how much I appreciate all the support you’ve given me, whether through listening, sharing, recommending, sending in feedback, and donating. Especially donating, because ultimately your material support is what keep the lights on at this little, weird project of ours. To wit, nearly 20,000 of you backed the 2015 Radiotopia drive, and it’s pretty much impossible to adequately express the bizarre mix of gratitude, love, terror, elation, and imposter syndrome I’m experiencing right now.